Screeching tires, honking horns

You and Tori glanced at each other briefly as you heard the frantic honking outside, and then tires skidding along the road. That was never a good sign... you both scrambled to the door, opening it just as the pickup truck down the road sped away from the scene, as if they could escape responsibility for whatever they'd done. Left behind in the aftermath was what appeared to be a border collie, but it was hard to tell--the dog's fur appeared matted and messy from being out in undesirable conditions even before the accident, making it barely identifiable to you. Clearly, this was a creature in distress in more ways than one.

Tori put her hand on your shoulder. "We should get out there quick. Can you see if anyone's around? Signal me over if it's clear, otherwise if you think you can move the dog here safely you can bring it up here. I'll try to use my channeling pre-emptively, but there's a low chance I'll succeed, the need is going to really rapidly overpower my control." Just out of range of Tori's curse reacting to the accident, she was trying to be as cautious as possible, though you knew she wanted to run right out and help if she could. You didn't know much about this curse magic yet, but you didn't wait for more explanation.

You ran over to the dog in the road, glancing around the neighborhood. There aren't a ton of homes on either side, most people preferred their big backyards and space. Most cars had left their driveways for the day, so you didn't think anyone else saw. As the dog whimpered lightly, you turned back to Tori and waved her to you.

Tori ran over as quick as she could, the magic in her hand sparking blue at first, but it quickly burst into purple light once she ran closer. The need the border collie must have felt must have been powerful, as it looked like Tori lost control of herself very quickly, almost stumbling over herself as she knelt down to touch the injured pup.

Almost instantly, the dog vanished, and Tori collapsed to her knees, holding her arm. "Augh! Hrrh..." Tori hissed through her gritted teeth, the signs of pain becoming quite a bit more human. Even so, her hair turned black with a streak of white, and canine ears and a tail appeared on her, but it looked matted and unkempt. While the dog could have had control over how to make Tori appear, Tori's new features seemed to take on something representative of the creature's self-image.

"Tori, are you--"

"GET BACK!" Tori shouted suddenly, scooting away from you. "What is... who... I don't want you near me!" She moved back slightly further, looking at you defiantly. Her expression in that moment pained you slightly--you'd never seen Tori look angrily at you, at least not with you as the focus of said anger. This was a trial for you in a way, to know if you could actually handle Tori's channeling in more serious circumstances.

"Okay, stay calm," you said, getting low to the ground and not approaching further. "I'm not a threat, I'm not going to hurt you. You're channeled with my friend, Tori. She's a vet, she wants to help you. You can see her memories, right? You know all this. I won't tell you what to do, but I have to make sure my friend is safe. Now, what are you thinking?"

Tori froze, momentarily lost in thought as she furrowed her brow. It took her a moment to trust your words, but eventually she sighed and looked to her arm, letting Tori's veterinarian expertise rise to the fore. "I think it's a simple transverse fracture to the right front leg, maybe some fractures to the ribcage as well, it doesn't feel like there are any internal injuries beyond that, possibly some contusions on the face and neck from the impact, some abrasion due to the pavement. My human body is technically fine, but the pain is residual. This arm still should be immobilized to help lessen the sensation of pain."

You stepped closer to help Tori up, but she winced and shied away from you, so you backed off. "Do you have a name?" you asked.

"No." She turned her head to look away from you when you asked, her quiet and simple response indicating to you that maybe this was a touchy subject for her. Given the state of her appearance, you could guess that the collie had been living in some poor conditions, possibly escaping from somewhere. That explained her demeanor as well, since she seemed untrusting and even frightened of another person. It still pained you to see Tori act like this.

You looked down the road, seeing traffic in the distance. "Well, if you think you need to immobilize the arm, you should come inside with me. I promise I won't hurt you, I won't touch you if you would prefer to do things yourself, I'll just get Tori's medical supplies and that's it. Is that acceptable?"

Another long pause stretched between you and Tori, as her eyes looked into yours. She looked like something inside her was trying to convince her that you could be trusted, but she still seemed hesitant. "Fine. If you startle me, though, then I will run out the door."

"I won't stop you, though I will follow at a distance to make sure you don't hurt my friend. Tori means the world to me, and right now you're her, so you're my friend too."

Tori eventually stands up, looking at the ground as she takes small steps forward. "She's... lucky, to have someone who cares."

The two of you eventually get inside, and you walk to the guest bedroom to get the medical supplies. It was interesting in your mind that Tori wasn't actually injured, which had you relieved, but the fact that treating her as if she in fact did have those injuries was a bit of a surprise. regardless, you guessed that the channeling was really to buy time in this case, that being able to assess the border collie's condition through the human form and be prepared for when Tori was able to end channeling would prevent the health of the dog to continue to deteriorate. You felt bad for this one, it seemed like this creature in Tori needed far more care than just a brace on the arm.

When you returned to the living room, you saw Tori huddled in a corner on the floor, holding her arm to herself. This was a delicate game to play right now... you moved slowly, deliberately, to the couch. "You want to join me up here on the couch?"

"I'm not allowed..."

"In my house you are." You pat the cushions. "You'll feel better up here, and I can put the brace on you, or you can do it yourself if you prefer."

Again, Tori gave you this look like you were out of your mind. It was bizarre that these behaviors displayed by the dog channeling her would so strongly override her human half, but it just showed that you barely knew anything about this channeling thing at all. Tori slowly rose up, cautiously standing, before shuffling to the couch, sitting on the far end from you. She seemed so careful in the seat, like you were going to change your mind and tell her to get off of it. You kept quiet, fishing a brace out of Tori's duffel bag, setting it on the couch in front of you. "Just tell me if you need any help," you said, standing up and stepping back towards the kitchen. "There's also still some bacon in the pan, and a glass of water if you want it."

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Tori asked, quietly.

You paused. "You're a guest in my house, I treat all my guests with respect. Anything you need, you can ask for, and I'll do my best to make sure those needs are met."

Tori looked down at the brace for a moment, still wrestling with something within her. You were an anomaly in all of this dog's experiences, it seemed, and so she took some time to accept your answer. "In that case... I could use an extra hand with the brace."

You helped Tori fit the brace to her arm and secure it behind her back, before you brought her the last few strips of bacon. Tori ate those as if she'd never tasted anything so wonderful before--despite them being part of her meal minutes ago. You saw her tail start to wag a little, so it seemed like maybe you'd at least made a good impression.